spaceNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94spaceTue, 29 Nov 2016 04:54:42 +0000spacehttp://wlrn.org
Camila DomonoskeNASA is looking for some help making the solar system's most portable port-a-potty.So if you think you know the best way to poop in a spacesuit, the agency is ready to hear it ... and you might make $30,000 for your trouble.The "Space Poop Challenge" — that's what it's called, we're not making this up — is the latest project of the NASA Tournament Lab, a program to invite members of the public to help come up with "novel ideas or solutions" for space-related problems. It's hosted on HeroX, a crowdsourcing platform.And here's the challenge: Create an "in-suit waste management system" that can handle six days' worth of bathroom needs.The logistics of pooping in space, in general, have long been resolved. Astronauts at the International Space Station, orbiting the Earth for months, have some noisy contraptions with vacuums, fans, hoses and bags that take care of business.But those space toilets won't fit in a pressurized spacesuit — and they certainly aren't hands-free."How has NASAGot A Great Idea For Dealing With Poop In A Spacesuit? Let NASA Knowhttp://wlrn.org/post/got-great-idea-dealing-poop-spacesuit-let-nasa-know
78328 as http://wlrn.orgMon, 28 Nov 2016 20:43:00 +0000Got A Great Idea For Dealing With Poop In A Spacesuit? Let NASA KnowMerrit Kennedyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4BiDR4_H-Y Astronauts at the International Space Station are planning to spend Thanksgiving in quite a traditional fashion: There will be a turkey dinner with all the trimmings, good company, and football.In a video taped in orbit, Space Station Commander Shane Kimbrough explains how the crewmates will celebrate the holiday."It's going to be little bit different for us up here in space, but I'm going to try to make it as much like home as we can," he says.The crew will work during the day and then sit down to a Thanksgiving dinner. Kimbrough walks us through the planned menu, and it's clear he's pretty excited about it:Turkey, packed in a pouch. "We'll heat this up and it'll taste really good, just like you're having at home," Kimbrough says.A side dish of candied yams.Cornbread dressing, which they will rehydrate before serving: "And it will taste really good, I'm sure."Green beans and mushrooms: "Can't have a Thanksgiving meal without some green beans.Here's How The International Space Station Is Celebrating Thanksgivinghttp://wlrn.org/post/heres-how-international-space-station-celebrating-thanksgiving
78062 as http://wlrn.orgTue, 22 Nov 2016 22:30:00 +0000Here's How The International Space Station Is Celebrating ThanksgivingBill ChappellIts official name is the perigee-syzygy, meaning the moon is both full and closest to Earth. But many call it the supermoon, and Monday's version will be a "showstopper," NASA says. It's the nearest supermoon in almost 70 years — and we won't see another like it until 2034."When a full moon makes its closest pass to Earth in its orbit it appears up to 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter, making it a supermoon," NASA says.Here are five things to help you enjoy this supermoon:When To See ItIn the U.S., we'll get three chances to see the moon at its brightest and biggest, from around sunset Sunday to Monday's predawn and sunset. On both days, the moon will rise around sunset."The difference in distance from one night to the next will be very subtle, so if it's cloudy on Sunday, go out on Monday," says Noah Petro, deputy project scientist for NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission. "Any time after sunset should be fine. Since the moon is full, it'll rise at nearly the same timeClosest Supermoon Since 1948 Arrives Monday: Tips On Seeing And Photographing Ithttp://wlrn.org/post/closest-supermoon-1948-arrives-monday-tips-seeing-and-photographing-it
77454 as http://wlrn.orgSun, 13 Nov 2016 20:34:00 +0000Closest Supermoon Since 1948 Arrives Monday: Tips On Seeing And Photographing ItJoe PalcaNASA's next Mars rover mission doesn't launch until 2020, but the process of picking a landing site is already underway. Right now, one of the leading suggestions comes from a teenager who hasn't yet finished high school.Alex Longo, of Raleigh, N.C., has been a fan of space exploration for almost as long as he can remember."My first experience with space exploration was in 2005," he says. "I was just 5 years old, and mom and dad had me watch a space shuttle launch."Watching that shuttle launch was the start. Longo decided he not only wanted to go into space himself someday, he wanted to be the first person to walk on Mars.He started following NASA missions on the agency's website, and in 2014 came across an announcement about the next rover mission to Mars."I saw that they were looking for abstracts from scientists to suggest landing sites," he says. "I decided, well, I'll write something up."He'd written to NASA before. "Each time, they sent me cool space shuttle mission posters orA Teen Might Pick The Landing Site For NASA's Next Mars Roverhttp://wlrn.org/post/teen-might-pick-landing-site-nasas-next-mars-rover
73866 as http://wlrn.orgSun, 04 Sep 2016 13:08:00 +0000A Teen Might Pick The Landing Site For NASA's Next Mars RoverTeresa FrontadoA SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded on a launch pad at Cape Canaveral in Florida. Witnesses say the explosion rattled buildings miles away from the launch pad. Flames and black smoke could be seen at the pad, and the plume of smoke was picked up by local radar. “SpaceX can confirm that in preparation for today’s static fire, there was an anomaly on the pad resulting in the loss of the vehicle and its payload,” says SpaceX spokesperson John Taylor. “Per standard procedure, the pad was clear and there were no injuries.” Officials say there is no threat to public safety. SpaceX planned to launch a communications satellite for Israeli operator AMOS this weekend. Officials say the explosion occurred during a pre-launch test-fire of the Falcon 9 engines. Both the rocket and satellite were destroyed. NASA says it’s too early to tell if other launches are affected by the accident. United Launch Alliance planned to send the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to an asteroid next week. The accident follows aSpaceX Rocket Explodes On Kennedy Space Center Launchpadhttp://wlrn.org/post/spacex-rocket-explodes-kennedy-space-center-launchpad
73741 as http://wlrn.orgThu, 01 Sep 2016 16:13:23 +0000SpaceX Rocket Explodes On Kennedy Space Center LaunchpadCamila DomonoskeThey aren't saying it's alien, but they are saying it's "interesting."The SETI Institute — the private organization that looks for signals of extraterrestrial life — has announced that it is investigating reports of an unusual radio signal picked up by Russian astronomers.The signal was detected on a much wider bandwidth than the SETI Institute uses in its searches, and the strength of the received signal was "weak," SETI Institute astronomer Seth Shostak wrote in a blog post.It was unusual, both in its design and its "beam shape," he says.The signal might be coming from a solar system called HD 164595, some 94 light-years away from us, Shostak wrote. It seems to be coming from that direction, at any rate.That system has a star similar to our sun. There's one known planet circling that star, about the size of Neptune and very close to the star. That planet doesn't seem like a good candidate for hosting life, but other planets might also be in the system, Shostak wrote.But there's noScientists Looking For Alien Life Investigate 'Interesting' Signal From Spacehttp://wlrn.org/post/scientists-looking-alien-life-investigate-interesting-signal-space
73624 as http://wlrn.orgTue, 30 Aug 2016 15:10:00 +0000Scientists Looking For Alien Life Investigate 'Interesting' Signal From SpaceRae Ellen Bichellhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SS3UsMDdik At about 8 a.m. ET today, far above Earth, astronaut Jeff Williams floated out a hatch and then welcomed Kate Rubins into the void."OK Kate, come on out," said Williams."OK, copy," said Rubins.And with that, the two Americans began a six-hour assignment to install a new docking port to the International Space Station. Here's how they did it:Since 2011, when NASA retired its space shuttles, the government has paid the Russian space agency to rocket astronauts to the space station — at a cost of about $80 million per seat.The new port will allow astronauts traveling with companies such as Boeing and SpaceX to enter the station. Both companies plan to send people there in the next couple of years.The addition is part of a move to hand off space station duties to private companies, allowing NASA to focus its resources on bigger projects like getting to Mars.Under NASA's Commercial Crew Program, the agency has worked with the U.S. aerospace300 Miles Above Us, Astronauts Give The Space Station A New Doorhttp://wlrn.org/post/300-miles-above-us-astronauts-give-space-station-new-door
73109 as http://wlrn.orgFri, 19 Aug 2016 18:13:00 +0000300 Miles Above Us, Astronauts Give The Space Station A New DoorKate PayneA Florida-based company made history this week by winning federal approval for a private mission to the moon. The development is unprecedented in the private space industry.Florida-Based Company Gets Approval For Mission To The Moonhttp://wlrn.org/post/florida-based-company-gets-approval-mission-moon
72359 as http://wlrn.orgThu, 04 Aug 2016 22:20:42 +0000Florida-Based Company Gets Approval For Mission To The MoonBill Chappellhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsBy_UeYM3E More than 2 tons of supplies and gear are speeding toward the International Space Station, after a SpaceX Falcon rocket launched early Monday from Cape Canaveral, Fla. The cargo includes a new port that will standardize how spacecraft connect to the station.The SpaceX Dragon craft will deliver its payload to the station Wednesday morning — but the mission has already been something of a success, as Brendan Byrne of member station WMFE reports."SpaceX was able to land the first stage of the booster at a landing site at Cape Canaveral a part of their plan for rocket re-usability," Byrne says. Adding a detail that area residents might already know, he adds, "A sonic boom from the re-entry of the booster was heard across Central Florida."From Melbourne, Fla., Rick Glasby of member station WFIT tells NPR's Newscast unit that the SpaceX craft's cargo includes biology experiments and hardware that is crucial to NASA's plans."The hardware is a dockingSpaceX Rocket Sends A New Door To Space Stationhttp://wlrn.org/post/spacex-rocket-sends-new-door-space-station
71354 as http://wlrn.orgMon, 18 Jul 2016 11:38:00 +0000SpaceX Rocket Sends A New Door To Space StationNell GreenfieldboyceThe exploration of our outer solar system is about to hit a real slump.NASA is celebrating Juno's arrival at Jupiter, but in less than two years, Juno will be gone — it's slated to plunge into the gas giant and burn up. The Cassini spacecraft, now orbiting Saturn, will meet the same fate next year."It'll be the first time since the 1970s that there will be no NASA presence in the outer planets," says Casey Dreier, director of space policy at The Planetary Society. "For the first time in 40 years, the lights will go out in the outer solar system."NASA does have some upcoming missions closer to home. In September, one mission will go off toward an asteroid, aiming to return a sample to Earth. And there are a couple of missions that will go back to Mars: a big rover in 2020, and a lander that was supposed to launch this year but got delayed until 2018."The only reason we have any mission between now and the next four years, essentially, is because one mission missed its launch window,"What Comes Next For NASA After Juno? Not Muchhttp://wlrn.org/post/what-comes-next-nasa-after-juno-not-much
70650 as http://wlrn.orgTue, 05 Jul 2016 15:47:00 +0000What Comes Next For NASA After Juno? Not MuchBrendan Byrne | WMFEAn experiment looking at the very beginnings of planetary formation is getting a ride on a sub-orbital rocket funded by NASA. In the early stages of planetary formation, there’s no gravity. So how do particles stick together? That’s what researcher Julie Brisset hopes to find out. She’s sending a whole bunch of particles on a sub-orbital rocket. As the experiment falls, it experiences micro-gravity. From there, she can see how different particles behave and “see if dust particles will stick at certain velocities and grow into certain structures in order to understand better the first stages of planetary formations,” said Brisset. Scientists think that tiny particles colliding are the earliest stages of planetary formations. “These dust grains somehow grow into so-called planetesimals that then grow into planets. And this first stage does not involve any gravity because the particles are too small. It involves surface forces. That’s what we’re looking into,” explains Brisset. She’sGrant Helps UCF Researches Uncover Early Planetary Formationhttp://wlrn.org/post/grant-helps-ucf-researches-uncover-early-planetary-formation
61548 as http://wlrn.orgTue, 29 Dec 2015 19:39:48 +0000Grant Helps UCF Researches Uncover Early Planetary FormationJohn O'ConnorAt first, the kids in the auditorium at Richmond Heights Middle School weren’t sure a they'd hear a voice above the ear-burning static. Dade Radio Club of Miami president Miguel Garate kept signaling the space station. “NA1SS, NA1SS, this is Richmond Heights. Over,” Garate said repeatedly, trying to hail the space station. They had just minutes before astronaut Samantha Cristoferretti would be out of range. A voice cut through the white noise. “This is November Alpha One, I-S-S. I read you three by five,” Cristoferretti said. Student after student stepped up to the microphone. They asked about life in low-gravity. How plants adjust to space. Whether Cristoferetti feels claustrophobic in the space station. Nine minutes later Cristoferretti was swallowed by the static again. But Garate and his amateur radio pals celebrated like NASA’s Mission Control after a successful touchdown. Big smiles. High fives. The amateur radio club has been planning the astronaut chat for a year. They were atAmateur Radio Club Connects Miami Students With Space Stationhttp://wlrn.org/post/amateur-radio-club-connects-miami-students-space-station
44041 as http://wlrn.orgThu, 15 Jan 2015 22:33:14 +0000Amateur Radio Club Connects Miami Students With Space StationAnthony CookCelestially minded Miamians (and anyone else interested) will be able to view the International Space Station (ISS) with the naked eye Thursday morning, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA’s “Spot the Station” widget identifies specific dates and times that the ISS will be visible without a telescope. These windows, however, are narrow — the next opportunity for viewing the ISS will occur Thursday at 5:47 a.m., and it will only be visible for two minutes. The International Space Station, launched in 1998, is a research laboratory intended to allow astronauts to perform scientific experiments outside of the Earth’s atmosphere. It orbits the Earth at nearly five miles per second. SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft will also be visible on Thursday. Dragon is a commercial spacecraft designed to transport cargo to and from space-based facilities like the ISS. Early birds would have been able to see the ISS for one minute at 5:01 and for five minutes at 6:35 thisInternational Space Station Visible From Miami Thursday Morninghttp://wlrn.org/post/international-space-station-visible-miami-thursday-morning-0
43618 as http://wlrn.orgWed, 07 Jan 2015 17:41:33 +0000International Space Station Visible From Miami Thursday MorningAssociated PressNASA's new Orion spacecraft returned to dry land in Southern California after a test flight that ended with a plunge into the Pacific Ocean.Navy ship, the USS Anchorage, delivered the capsule to Naval Base San Diego and unloaded the 11-foot-tall cone around 10 p.m. PST Monday.Orion made an unmanned flight Friday that carried it 3,600 miles above Earth to test the spacecraft's systems before it carries astronauts on deep space missions. During re-entry into the atmosphere, the spacecraft endured speeds of 20,000 mph and temperatures near 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit.It parachuted into the ocean about 600 miles southwest of San Diego, where the ship picked it up.NASA recovery director Jeremy Graeber called the mission a "great success" and said the recovery from the ocean was "flawless.""It was quite a thing to see, because it was challenging to get to that point, and to see the orchestration work exactly as we laid it out was priceless," he said.NASA and contractor Lockheed Martin Corp.Navy Returns NASA's Orion Spacecraft After Test Flighthttp://wlrn.org/post/navy-returns-nasas-orion-spacecraft-after-test-flight
42337 as http://wlrn.orgTue, 09 Dec 2014 20:50:33 +0000Navy Returns NASA's Orion Spacecraft After Test FlightLisann Ramos Most teachers don’t delve into space education before their students even know how to read. Dr. Rossana Chiarella is an exception. She teaches space travel to her pre-K students in Hialeah. Chiarella was not much older herself when she first became interested in space. At 6 years old, she first witnessed an astronaut going to the moon from her hometown in Peru. She carried her love of space with her to the United States and throughout her teaching career. Last year she, along with 24 other educators from around the world, was chosen as a teacher liaison for a nonprofit group called the Space Foundation. Through their network she learned about the Civil Air Patrol’s Teaching Orientation Flights. She signed up to take part in one of these flights. “It’s a Civil Air Patrol Aerospace education Program Designed to attract teachers and allow them the opportunity to go on a flight, do some training beforehand and experience flight firsthand so they can go and take that back to the school andCivil Air Patrol Offers Educators The Chance To Teach From The Skyhttp://wlrn.org/post/civil-air-patrol-offers-educators-chance-teach-sky
38643 as http://wlrn.orgTue, 16 Sep 2014 22:28:59 +0000Civil Air Patrol Offers Educators The Chance To Teach From The SkyAmy Green NASAs proposal to lease out an unused shuttle launch pad has ignited a bitter battle between two billionaires -- PayPals Elon Musk and Amazons Jeff Bezos -- as congressional members weigh in and the Government Accountability Office investigates. Funding to maintain launch pad 39A ran out September 30, and NASA wants to lease out the pad to a commercial space company before it deteriorates in the Space Coasts salty air. Musks SpaceX and Bezos Blue Origin both submitted bids. SpaceX wants exclusive use of 39A, but Blue Origin wants the pad for multiple users. Dale Ketcham is director of the Spaceport Research and Technology Institute at the University of Central Florida. He says both companies are run by billionaires with strong personalities. Its simple economics and business practices, said Ketcham. You dont want your competitor to get too far out ahead and capitalize on the market before you have a chance to get in there and compete. The bids triggered a flurry of letters fromBillionaires Bezos, Musk Face Off Over Unused Shuttle Launch Padhttp://wlrn.org/post/billionaires-bezos-musk-face-over-unused-shuttle-launch-pad
21827 as http://wlrn.orgTue, 08 Oct 2013 20:02:46 +0000Billionaires Bezos, Musk Face Off Over Unused Shuttle Launch Pad